Differences
by Amma Lightstairs
Summary: The ones with the marks hate the ones without, the Downworlders. Alexander Lightwood is different, he doesn't understand the difference between them. When a specific Downworlder boy catches his eye, he has to decide what he values. High School AU.
1. Chapter 1

Alexander Gideon Lightwood walked into Idris High as he always did; with his sister, Isabelle, next to him. He saw his best friend, Jace Herondale, holding hands with his girlfriend, Clary Fairchild. Jace waved and ran over to him, dragging Clary along with him. Clary greeted him and then started a conversation with Isabelle.

"Hey, Alec!" Jace greeted him as well. "Did you hear about that debate about Downworlder's rights? That Downworlder dude got completely roasted! Governor Morgenstern isn't having any of that." Alec cringed, not visibly. The segregation against Downworlders wasn't his favorite topic. He just didn't see the difference between them, except for the non-Downworlder birthmark that appeared on the back of every non-Downworlder's hand. Alec's younger brother, Max, always thought it looked like a diamond with bunny ears. Alec wanted to reprimand Jace, but instead he just said,

"No, I was doing homework yesterday. I didn't watch any TV."

Suddenly, Isabelle gasped. Taking Clary's hand, they rushed off together towards Simon Lewis, Izzy's boyfriend and Clary's best friend. Jace sighed, waved goodbye to Alec, and walked after his girlfriend. Alec looked around, and saw a small Latino Downworlder boy, probably only a sophomore, cornered against a locker by Sebastian Morgenstern, the son of the governor and only going to Idris High to bully the Downworlders. He almost went to help to boy, but his parents knew the Morgensterns. Both of their families hated Downworlders, and if his parents found out that he stood up for a Downworlder... Alec hated just thinking of what his father would do to him. Suddenly, a boy with pale hair, probably a junior, walked up to Sebastian and put a hand on his shoulder. No mark, he was a Downworlder. Alec moved close enough to hear them, but not be noticed.

"Leave Raphael alone. He never did anything to you." The boy said to Sebastian, who looked disgusted at having a Downworlder touch him. He flicked his hand off of his shoulder.

"Don't touch me, filthy Downworlder." Sebastian said, grabbing the pale haired boy's shirt.

"It's fine, Mark, just go." The Latino boy, Raphael, said. But the pale haired boy, Mark, didn't budge and stared Sebastian in the eyes.

"No, Raphael. Go." Mark said. Raphael decided not to argue anymore and ran. "You treat Downworlders like they're nothing. But we're the same as you, we just don't have a mark on our hand. That doesn't make us less than you."

Sebastian snarled, and punched Mark in the cheek. He didn't stop until Mark was on the ground, bleeding. Sebastian looked as if he expected him to beg for mercy, but Mark said nothing, so Sebastian just stood up and walked away. A girl whose hair matched Mark's ran next to him once Sebastian left. She helped him up a wiped the blood off of his face.

"Thanks, Helen." Mark said. Alec decided at that moment to walk away, but he noticed Raphael looking at him, trying to decide what kind of person he was.

"Hey, Alec." A soft female voice whispered in his ear. He spun around and saw Aline Penhallow, the girlfriend that Jace and Isabelle set him up with. She laughed. "You are _sooo_ easy to scare." Alec tried to look angry, but ended up smiling. He didn't love Aline, but she was a nice friend and never tried to talk about Downworlder stuff with him, which he was grateful for.

"Did you finish your Calculus homework from last night? I had trouble with number sixteen." Alec asked, and they slipped into casual conversation. He was listening so carefully to Aline that he didn't realize the black haired boy with yellow eyes gazing at him in interest.


	2. Chapter 2

Magnus Bane, a Downworlder and one of the most unnoticed boys in Idris High, was watching one of the Marked. In his defense, the boy he was watching was very attractive. High cheekbones, nice jawline, muscles, and beautiful, innocent blue eyes. But in the three days Magnus had watched him, he hadn't done anything. He had noticed him watching Mark get beaten up by Sebastian, and had seen a look in his eyes like he wanted to stop it, but he just... Hadn't. Like all the Marked, he supposed. But there was a look in his eyes... That boy didn't seem like the rest of the Marked.

The real reason Magnus was watching him was because he was jealous. Jealous that one person could be attractive, have his absolute favorite hair and eye color combination, and have a mark on his hand. That and a significant other. That was all Magnus wanted in his life, and that boy had it. He probably had the sweetest parents as well, not like Magnus' stepfather. Magnus' real father had been a Downworlder, just like him, but had tricked his mother into believing he was one of the Marked. When Magnus was born, he ran off before she discovered his secret. Magnus' mother tolerated Magnus because he was her own kin, but his stepfather hated him. He beat him every night, without his mother knowing. There were scars on his shoulders from when his stepfather's fingernails dug into his skin. That was why Magnus was jealous of the boy, for having a loving family.

"Hi." A female voice said from behind him. Turning around, he saw his two best friends, Catarina Loss and Ragnor Fell. Catarina frowned and pushed Magnus' overgrown hair out of his face. "Show your eyes, Magnus. They're pretty."

Ragnor scoffed.

"You say that to everyone, Catarina. But seriously, Magnus, you're going to run into one of the marked and get beaten up all 'cause you couldn't see out of your hair curtain."

Magnus smiled. He loved his friends.

"Hey, Ragnor, Maia, Lily, Raphael, Mark and Helen are all coming over tonight for Downworlder Rights Club. Wanna come?" Catarina asked. The club she had invented, Downworlder Rights Club, was just a bunch of people complaining and eating popcorn. Some of Magnus' favorite things.

"Yeah, sure. I'll be there at two forty five." Magnus said, right before the bell rang.

"Okay. See you at lunch!" Catarina waved and walked away with Ragnor.

Even though Magnus was good at school, he hated it. All the Marked acting like they're better than everyone. Magnus was glad that it was lunch time so he could talk to his friends. He sat down at a table with his best friends, Helen, Mark, Lily, Catarina, Ragnor, Raphael, and Maia. They all waved hello. While they ate lunch, they discussed random things, like what would happen if the world had a self destruct button or how time travel worked. Magnus was only half listening. The other half of his attention was being used to watch the blue eyed boy, who sat next to a girl named Aline. Magnus knew her name because Helen was always talking about how she wasn't like the other Marked, how she was partnered with her in English class. Magnus could tell she had a huge crush on her, but she was dating the blue eyed boy, as far as he could tell.

"Hey, Downworlders." A voice spat. It was Sebastian Morgenstern and his cronies, of course. "You should probably know that the Marked are way better than you, and just the name Mark," he glared at Mark, "shouldn't be allowed for filthy Downworlders. So," he said, cracking his knuckles. "We thought we might teach you a lesson about standing up to us. He grabbed Helen, who went pale in surprise, and punched her, very hard, in the jaw. She collapsed to the floor. Mark jumped up to protect his sister, when a voice sounded.

"Sebastian, quit it." It was Aline Penhallow. "You already beat them up this morning, give it a rest." She helped Helen up, who started to blush.

"Are you standing up for these filthy Downworlders? They are less than us!" Sebastian snarled.

"You shouldn't hit them." The blue eyed boy had come up behind Aline. Seeing the look on Sebastian's face, he paled. "I...I mean...the lunch lady is looking this way, and...um...you know she doesn't tolerate that. I don't want to get you in trouble, Sebastian." Sebastian looked at him in confusion, then a look of normalcy. He clapped him on the shoulder.

"Thanks, bro. Us Marked, see, we look out for each other." Sebastian said, walking away. Aline and the blue eyed boy gave the Downworlders embarrassed smiles and walked back to their tables. The blue eyed boy glanced over his shoulder on the way back, and looked Magnus directly in the eyes. Magnus melted.


	3. Chapter 3

_Oh my god. I didn't just do that. At least Sebastian doesn't suspect me. But oh god what if._.. Alec's freaking out session was interrupted by Aline.

"Thanks, Alec. For helping out back there. Sebastian wouldn't have listened to just me."

"Why did you do that?"

"I... I guess I'm just tired of it. Bullying those poor Downworlders for no good reason. Plus, Helen didn't do anything to deserve that." Aline said as they walked towards their lockers.

"Who's Helen?"

Aline blushed.

"The girl Sebastian hit. I feel really bad for all of them, you know. I'm thinking of sitting with them tomorrow." She pulled some books out of her locker and looked at Alec. "What do you think?"

Oh hell no. Sebastian would bully her, and then make things terrible for her and all the Downworlders.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Aline frowned.

"Why not?" She asked, sincerely curious.

"Not even considering social status, because I know that's not important to you, Sebastian would make your life a living hell. He would hit you just like he hit Helen."

"The only way he gets away with hitting them is because they're Downworlders. I'm not. And if he tries anything," Aline smiled sweetly. "You can come and save me. You're good with words." Alec raised his eyebrows.

"Me? Good with words?"

"You got me out today, didn't you?"

"I stuttered over every second word!" Alec protested. "Plus, I thought we didn't talk about Downworlder politics." Aline looked genuinely frustrated.

"Alec, you can't just think of excuses for every little thing. Someone has to stick up for them, and if you aren't going to help me, I'll do it myself." Aline began to huff off, but Alec took her arm.

"Aline." He breathed in deeply. "I'll help, but we'll do it discreetly, okay? I just don't want you to get hurt." Aline smiled from ear to ear.

"Thank you, Alec!" She leaned in and pecked him on the cheek. Alec could tell it was a kiss of friendship and not lovers. That was another something that they never did; kiss. Alec liked that. To be truly honest, he didn't love anyone. Isabelle always used the word "yet" while looking into his eyes, like she could see into his soul. "I'll get us invited to their club meeting! Discreetly." She added. Alec sighed as she skipped off. Isn't this what he had always wanted? A way to help the Downworlders, without being found out? As long as it all worked out.

Magnus was walking in the hallway next to Helen, who had a a towel to her mouth, which was still bleeding. He asked her if she was okay about every two minutes, until she nearly yelled at him to stop. From then on, they walked in silence. Until Helen randomly popped a question on him.

"What do you think of Aline? You know, the Marked girl that helped me."

Magnus scoffed.

"All she did was say a few words to Sebastard." Helen let a laugh fall out her mouth at Magnus' new nickname for him. "Same with the other Marked boy."

"At least they did something." Helen tried.

"Helen. Darling. We all know," he gestured to himself, "that this is all about your crush on Miss Penhallow." Helen turned as red as a strawberry.

"What? I don't... What are you..." Magnus smirked at her. "She's taken!"

"So what? Have you ever see her kiss the boy? It's for social status. I've been..." Magnus stopped, realizing he almost revealed that he had been stalking the boy. Now it was Aline's turn to smirk.

"You've been doing what?"

"What? Nothing." Magnus scanned the hallway, trying to find something to get him out of this situation. Suddenly, his eyes focused on a girl with flowing black hair walking towards them. "Hey, Helen. Look who it is." He nudged her. Her eyes widened.

"Hi, Helen. Magnus, right?" Aline greeted. Helen's face was very red, but she squeaked out a hello. "I know this is a bit weird and sudden, but is it alright if my boyfriend and I come to your Downworlder Rights Club meeting? We really want to help, but my boyfriend is very adamant about being discreet." She made air quotes as she said discreet. Helen was so shocked that her crush was talking to her, she was frozen, so Magnus took the lead.

"You know, we've never had an offer like this before. And I'm not sure that we can trust you, you're one of the Marked."

"I helped you today!" Aline gestured at Helen, who blushed even more.

"Yeah, but how do we know it's not a setup? Maybe later, Miss Penhallow." Helen tapped twice on his back, the code for 'no'."

"Okay, I get it." Aline said, but looked a little down. "We don't deserve to be trusted. But if there's anything you need, just talk to me." She began to walk away. Helen, still blushing but not as much, called out to her.

"Wait! It's okay if you guys come, but only you two. And don't try anything, okay?" Aline brightened up and wrapped her arms around Helen, but then quickly let go.

"Thank you! I promise, we're just trying to help you. Where are you meeting?" Helen was frozen again after Aline had hugged her, so Magnus recited the address for her just as the bell rang. "See you there!" Aline ran off.

"OMG. Aline Penhallow just hugged me." Helen said.

"Yup, you definitely don't have a crush on her. Not. At. All." Helen playfully hit his shoulder. "See you after school!"


	4. Chapter 4

After school, Aline had run up to him, squealing.

"Two things. Number one, we're invited to their meeting!" She looked at him expectantly.

"Cool. This should be interesting." He said sincerely.

"Anyway, number two, I HUGGED HELEN BLACKTHORN." Aline whisper-screamed.

"I always knew you liked her. So, what are you dating me for?"

"So my parents don't get suspicious. And plus, you're my best friend, so it's awesome. "

Alec smiled happily at her.

"Same here." He hugged Aline.

"Meet me at my house at four forty five. Got it?" Aline made him promise.

"Yup. See you then, Allie!" Aline scowled and playfully punched Alec in the shoulder.

"Try me, Alex." She taunted. Alec pursed his lips and shook his head. He absolutely hated the nickname Alex. It was worse than Alexander, which he also hated. Aline smiled and waved before skipping away.

"Alec!" Isabelle's voice reached his ears. "We have to go pick up Max from school!" Alec scowled. He loved his little brother, but had never volunteered to pick him up. As a senior, he had lots of homework to do.

"When do you get your license?" Alec grumbled.

"This July, dumbass. You forgot your own little sisters birthday?" Izzy pouted. "Plus, mom and dad can't pick him up today. They're at a meeting. But hurry up! I have a double date with Simon and Clace."

"Clace?"

"Clary and Jace. It's their ship name."

"Ship name? What are you blabbering on about?"

"You know, relationship? You combine the two people's names together? Whatever, we gotta pick up Max so I can pick out a dress. Hurry up!"

"Okay, okay. Got it."

When the two of them 'finally' (in the words of Isabelle) got in Alec's car, Izzy started chatting about ships to Alec.

"You know, I don't really ship you and Aline. Like, platonically I do, but not sexually or romantically. For that matter, I don't really ship you with any girl. You just don't fit with anyone at our school. It's kind of annoying, because the only thing I like to do at school is show up everyone in gym class and pair people up. Even Downworlders. Like, you know the ones in my math class that I talk about a bunch, Jordan and Maia? They are adorable together. I don't even know if they are actually together, but they are so cute!" Alec had absolutely no clue what she was talking about, but he let her ramble on because it made her super happy and excited. And no matter what, he loved his little sister and wanted her to be happy. That's why he let her date Simon. "Oh, and these two Downworlder boys in my biology class, Ragnor and Raphael, are totally in love. I don't even care that they're both male! They flirt all the time and it's adorable! Oh, and I ship Max with this girl in his class, Livia Blackthorn. Ooh, speaking of Blackthorns, Livia's older brother and sister are half Downworlder and they go here! According to a rumor I heard, some Downworlder chick tricked their father and she had two kids before leaving him. The rest of his kids are Marked, though. The two Downworlder kids go here, I think their names are..."

"Helen and Mark?" Alec supplied. It was the first thing he had said since they had gotten into the car. Isabelle was looking at him with surprise.

"You know them?"

"Yeah. Helen's in a couple of my classes, and Mark's pretty well known."

"Oh yeah, he was the Downworlder boy that won that one school championship or whatever, and always stands up to Sebastian. Don't tell him I told you, but I kinda hate his guts. He tried to ask me out a bunch, even now when I'm dating Simon. Plus, those Downworlders never did anything to him." Alec felt really happy inside. His sister wasn't like his best friend, hating Downworlders who hadn't done anything. Instead of expressing his emotions, he did what he did best; hid them and didn't say anything. He just nodded in agreement. "I noticed you and Aline go and help the Downworlders today. Just so you know, I thought that was really brave and cool of you guys. Honestly, a lot of those guys are probably nicer than the Marked cheerleaders and everything. They're such... Ughs. They're so fake, just trying to suck up to Sebastian 'cause his dad's the governor. Maureen, you know, the one who dated Simon for like a week 'cause she knew I liked him? Once she told me I was ugly. Me! That girl is blind, which is probably why she wears the ugliest color of pink ever to exist on the face of this planet. She said black was an ugly color, but it looks way better then whatever," she waved her hand and wrinkled her nose, "that color is supposed to be. Hey, we're here!" Alec pulled up to the front door of Max's school. He saw the scrawny little boy run up to his car. His glasses, which were too big for his face, we're falling down his nose.

"Hi, Izzy! Hey Alec." He slid into the backseat. "Whatcha talking about?"

"Politics and annoying people." Izzy told him, turning around in her seat to face him. "Hey, what's that?" Alec saw in the rearview mirror that Max was holding a comic book, but the cover was on the wrong side.

"Assassination Classroom volume four. Livvy gave it to me." Izzy looked at Alec as if to say, _I told you so! They're in love!_

"Are you sure that's something you should be reading?" Alec asked.

"Sure! This one's is one of the least gory ones. Livvy has an impressive collection of a bunch of genres of manga. It's really cool. I'm going to ask mom and dad if I can go over tomorrow." Max smiled brightly and pushed his glasses up on his nose. Izzy smiled back at him and started talking to him about Livvy and their 'relationship'. Max blushed an awful lot, so Alec was beginning to wonder if Izzy was right about relationships. She was right, after all, about himself and Aline. He wished he could love her, but he just didn't. He was beginning to wonder if he would ever love anyone.

Alec pulled up in Aline's driveway, waiting for her to come through the door. After going home, he texted his mom that he was going out with Aline. His mom 'shipped' (as Izzy would say) them a lot.

"Hey!" Alec turned and saw Aline walked out of her door. Seeing her, he felt underdressed. She was wearing a casual navy blue dress with a rope-like belt, something like she normally wore, but she also wore her hair in a curled ponytail that twisted over her shoulder. Also pink lipstick. She never wore makeup. Alec was just wearing a black polo and pants.

"Hey. You look nice."

"Yeah. You do too. Are you excited?"

"Honestly, yeah. You, Clary, and Jace are my only friends, but Clary and Jace don't like Downworlders, so it kind of stresses me out. I've always felt really bad for them, but my parents are hardcore "No Downworlders". They won't even let Max go over to his best friend Livvy's house because they live with two Downworlders." Alec said as Aline slipped into the passenger seat of his car. She scrunched her eyebrows.

"That's dumb. I mean, they can be nice, just like the Marked."

"Well, my parents are very traditional, like before Downworlders existed. No Downworlders, no homosexuality, no getting bad grades, no anything that's not perfect. It's... Not good." Alec thought about the time in eighth grade when he got a B- in math. His father had nearly broken his wrist and left the huge bruise around it. He wore a sweater for a week to cover it, then got so used to it he wore sweaters almost everyday. Alec had been scared of his dad since then, but Robert Lightwood acted like nothing had happened. Alec also remembered when he was five, his mother found out that he was hanging out with a Downworlder girl, and had slapped him on the face and grounded him for three weeks. That's why he hadn't tried to help any of the Downworlders before hand, out of fear. He just hoped now he could hide it better.

"My dad is the same way. He's super unsupportive." Aline pause. "Can I tell you a secret?" Alec nodded. "In middle school, I dated a girl. She was really cute, and Marked even, but my dad would've disowned me if my mom hadn't helped. That's the real reason I'm dating you, so my dad thinks I've 'changed'. So yeah, you're the first person I've ever told. I'm gay." Aline looked at Alec, as if she were expecting him to blow up and yell at her. There was a short pause before Alec decided what to say.

"Thanks for telling me. I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to say, but I honestly do not care about your sexuality. I love you as a best friend, no matter what." Aline smiled and leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks, Alec. I love you too, no matter what."


	5. Chapter 5

Those blue eyes were the first thing Magnus saw when he opened the door. They looked wider than usual, but he didn't mind. He could see the small details, like the tiny black flecks in the pale blue of the boy's globular organs used for sight. Now that he thought about it, he didn't even know the name of the beautiful boy he had been watching. He heard an impatient tap of a foot, and noticed he had been staring into the boy's eyes for a bit too long. He tilted his head slightly and smiled at Aline, who looked very gorgeous if he said so himself. He could tell she dressed up for Helen.

"I apologize, Miss Penhallow. Do go in with your 'boyfriend'. I'm sure Miss Helen Blackthorn is waiting for you." Aline blushed furiously, her face turning very pink.

"Call me Aline." She said as she brushed passed him.

"Thanks." The blue eyed boy said as he walked through the door Magnus was holding open. Magnus felt a tiny bit of color go into his face. None of the Marked had ever thanked him before. He watched Alec follow Aline towards Maia, Catarina, and Helen, who were sitting on one of Catarina's many couches. Lily, Jordan, and Mark sat on the other couch, and on a love seat in between the two couches sat Raphael and Ragnor.

"Alright, that's all of us." Catarina announced. "Sit down." She gestured at Aline and the blue eyed boy. Aline plopped herself down next to Helen, so there was no room on that couch for the blue eyed boy, so he came and sat next to Magnus, who didn't mind a bit. Maia slammed her book against the coffee table violently.

"What the hell is this? They can't kill the main character! He's my favorite!" Magnus laughed, along with everyone other Downworlder. Aline and the blue eyed boy looked startled. "That's like killing... Hell, I don't know! But you can't just do that!" Catarina shook her head and put her hand on Maia's shoulder, smirking.

"Maia." She said quietly. "We have guests.

Maia's eyes widened as she looked at Aline and the blue eyed boy.

"Oh. Sorry, you'll get used to it." She picked her book up off of the table and checked it for dents.

"What are we watching?" Ragnor asked, picking up the remote. "How about 'Downworlder Antics'?" He snarled at the two Marked. The blue eyed boy looked startled yet again. It was a cute expression on him, and it almost never left his face.

"That's a show?" He said, the first words that left his lips that evening, other than the 'Thanks' that only Magnus heard. He sounded... A tad bit disgusted.

"Yeah. I'm surprised a person with parents like yours wouldn't know about it, much less go to a Downworlder's house." Ragnor spat. The blue eyed boy turned slightly pink and looked hurt.

"I'm not like them. Not at all." He whispered.

"What was that, Marked?" Lily spat the word like a curse, her perfect eyebrows (which Magnus had always admired) arched. The blue eyed boy tensed up, and Magnus resisted the urge to take his hand.

"I bet he's just here to expose us to his parents." Jordan said with disgust. They glared at the blue eyed boy. After a few seconds of the boy just looking down at his feet, Jordan spoke again. "Wimpy Marked bitch." Magnus' eyebrows raised in horror and surprise. Jordan's girlfriend, Maia, hated swearing and poking fun at others. Aline jumped up, but Maia was there first. She slapped him in the face, hard enough to leave a mark. "Ow, Maia."

"How dare you. He's here to help us, he never did anything at all. I'm talking to you guys, too." Maia glared at Ragnor and Lily.

"She's right." Helen said. "He helped me during lunch today. You were there. Well, not you, Jordan."

"But still. You can't blame what his parents did on him." Mark chimed in. Catarina stayed quiet, for reasons Magnus couldn't decide. Raphael did as well, but probably because he disagreed with his best friend, Ragnor, but didn't want to start an argument.

"You guys should apologize. I think you hurt his feelings." Magnus finally said. He had a certain power over his friends, and they believed in his insight. The three who insulted the blue eyed boy mumbled an apology, who didn't say anything in return. Magnus noticed Aline give the boy an encouraging look, as if to say, 'Look, see. Some of these people will defend you'.

"Well, wasn't that a lovely start." Catarina said sarcastically. "Why don't we just not watch TV? Too much controversy."

"Good idea." Magnus and Aline said at the same time. Magnus smiled at her, and she grinned back.

"So, um, Aline." Helen began awkwardly. "Why did you decide to come? I think we're all wondering it."

"I want to help. The way you're treated isn't right or just. But I can't be too obvious about it, or I won't be able to reason with Sebastian. You see," she glanced at the blue eyed boy, "we have to be discreet."

"And why should we believe you?" Raphael asked. "I'm not being rude! I'm just wondering!" He said when Magnus shot him a glare.

"I don't have any reason why you should," Ragnor snorted, "except for my word. And I think my actions at lunch should account for something."

Maia shrugged.

"Fair enough. She has been nice anyway."

The group got into a discussion about how Aline could help, everyone participating except for the blue eyed boy. He sat in the corner of the couch, leaning as far as he could onto the arm of the couch. His eyes stared down at his feet throughout the entire conversation.

 **Sorry, this chapter was a bit short. Thanks so much for the reviews! Also, in response, I'm trying to ease in the Malec. But never fear! It will come. I'm really glad you guys like Alec and Aline's friendship, I've always had a headcanon that they were great friends. (Ps: this story has 666 views. Reccomend it to people to save me!)**


	6. Chapter 6

Of course. The conversation had to turn to his parents, the people he was most ashamed of. Alec sat on the edge of the couch, the arm of it digging into his side. He tried to stay as far away from everyone as he could. When they started talking about Sebastian, Alec felt sick to his stomach. How could he just get away?

"Um...I have to... You know, go. Izzy... I mean my sister... um, needs me? Bye." Alec stood up and quickly walked toward the door, and he could feel everyone's eyes on him like targets. He swung open the door and closed it behind himself and breathed in the fresh air. Finally safe. Suddenly, the door swung open behind him. Expecting Aline, Alec was confused when someone else walked through.

"You were lying." A soft voice said behind him. "If you were uncomfortable, you could have said something." It was Magnus Bane. Magnus cocked his head at Alec, his yellow-green eyes seeming to try to decipher why Alec had left.

"A-Aline?" Alec stuttered, trying to ask about Aline.

"She's fine. Helen said she'd take her home for you." That managed to make Alec smile. They way Magnus said it, he probably knew about Aline's crush on Helen. Or maybe Helen had a crush on Aline...

"Tell her I said thanks." Alec said, starting to walk down the steps towards his car.

"Wait!" Alec felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He turned and looked at Magnus. He had to look up, because Magnus was almost a foot taller than him. Magnus' cat-like eyes looked into his, a note of apology in them. "I'm sorry for the way my friends acted. I can't excuse it, but..."

"I deserve it." Alec said, looking down.

"No, you don't." Magnus said, sounding determined to change his mind. "You haven't done anything."

"But that's exactly it." Alec said quietly, embarrassed to be sharing his feelings. "There is so much I could've done to help. Then your friends wouldn't have done anything. But instead, I just stood to the side, out of fear. I deserve it."

"I don't know who your parents are, and I don't know who you are. But I can tell you are a good person. You came to this meeting, even though your parents could find out. You helped us during lunch today. You don't support the rude TV shows. Plus, I would know best of all that a person isn't their parents. You don't have to believe me, but I believe in you." There was a long pause.

"Alexander." Alec said quietly.

"What?"

"That's my name. Alexander, Alec, Lightwood." Alec turned away from Magnus and got in his car and drove for home.

Why had a Downworlder boy Alec barely knew been so nice to him? He said probably one of the sweetest things a person had ever said to him, and just thinking about it made his face flush. He checked the clock on his car, trying to clear his mind. 6:07. He was back extremely early. He needed to think of an excuse so his parents wouldn't question him relentlessly. Maybe that he wasn't feeling well? No, his parents would get a thermometer. Saying that Aline was feeling sick would work better. When he entered his house, Max was sitting on one of their sitting room couches reading the book that Livvy had given him, looking upset. Alec hated when his little brother was unhappy. Alec walked up and sat next to him. Max looked up.

"You're back early." He said, sounding bitter.

"What's wrong?" Alec asked, ruffling Max's brown hair. Max moved his head out of the way, which was extremely out of character for him. He usually loved his hair being ruffled.

"You know how I wanted to go over to Livvy's house?" Alec nodded. "Well, mom and dad won't let me. And not because she's a 'bad influence' or whatever like my other friends."

"Why not then?"

"The most stupidest reason." Alec was surprised. Max was in love with language and grammar, and when he didn't use it correctly, you could tell he was upset. "I can't go over to Livvy's house because she lives with two Downworlders. Half Downworlder." Tears began to fall from his gray eyes. "It's so unfair! I can't even be friends with the few Downworlders in my class, and now I can't even be friends with someone who just lives with Downworlders? It's not a disease, they're just people! They just don't have this ugly thing." Max glared down at his hand, and a few teardrops fell on it. Alec hugged him, whispering in his ear.

"I know, I know. Trust me Max, I know."

Max fell asleep, crying in Alec's arms. Alec moved him over to lay on the couch, and put his glasses on the coffee table. Alec wiped the tears off of Max's face. This feud between Downworlders and Marked wasn't only hurting him, it was hurting Max as well. If Izzy knew that their parents made Max cry, she would kill them. Luckily, Izzy was still on her date with Simon. Alec walked down the hallway to his room, and ran into his mother.

"Alec?" His mother questioned. "I thought you were on a date with Aline."

"She wasn't feeling well." Alec lied, surprisingly well.

"Aw, poor sweetheart. I hope she feels better. Have you seen Max? He seemed rather angry with us."

"Yeah, you should probably leave him alone for tonight. I'll put him to bed." Alec offered, knowing Max didn't want to speak with their parents.

"Thank you, dear. It's probably for the best." Maryse said, patting him on the shoulder as he walked by.

Alec flopped onto his bed with a bottle of Pepsi in his hand. He hadn't eaten all day, but didn't feel like going into the kitchen. He reached for the book he was reading when his phone dinged. Picking that up instead, he saw a message notification from Aline.

 _Are you okay_? It read. He typed in a quick response.

 _Yeah._

 _Magnus said he talked to you. Did it help?_

 _Actually, yeah_. Alec tried to think of what to add. Maybe something like, he's sweet? But even that might come off weird, he thought in his head.

 _Good_. Aline responded before Alec had to ponder that any longer. _I went home with Helen, btw._

 _Yeah, Magnus told me. ;)_

 _I want to type shut up, but you aren't talking._

 _Anything exciting?_

 _NO! She just drove me home_.

The two talked until it was almost nine-thirty, Max's bedtime. Alec texted Aline that he had to put him to bed, and she understood. Alec walked into the room that Max was sleeping in, but he wasn't there. When he checked Max's room, he saw Max quickly put something under his pillow.

"What was that?" Alec asked.

"Nothing." Max said, smiling. "I thought you were mom or dad."

"Well, I'm not," Alec grinned, "So what do you have over there?" He walked up to Max and began tickling him until he was red with laughter.

"Stop!" He giggled. Max lifted up his pillow to reveal a phone, Izzy's 'old one'. She claimed it was out of style, but it was still a fairly new model. Alec unlocked the phone and saw it was on a messaging app. He was texting Livvy. "No, no!" Max shouted. "Don't read those!" Max grabbed the phone out of Alec's hand before he could read the messages. Alec raised his eyebrows. "If I'm not allowed to talk to her at school, I might as well text her." Max explained.

"It's not a bad plan, buddy. Just don't let mom or dad find out you have a phone, and you'll be fine." Max smiled.

"Thanks, Alec."

"But," Alec said, "You do have to go to bed. So put that phone in your nightstand and sleep, okay?"

"Okay." Max snuggled into his anime-themed blankets. Alec kissed him on the forehead. "'Night." He whispered.

"'Night." Alec responded before leaving to go back to his room and read.

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I wrote this chapter furiously because I was super happy about getting reviews. I decided to write some responses. (Ps: Alecline, you got your max. Happy?)**

 **Malec shipper af: thank you so much! And don't you worry, Malec is coming.**

 **MALECISBAE: thanks for your continued support! And I love the alecline BROTP.**

 **Malec is OTP and Maiaisbae: same. I basically modeled Maia's character after myself**

 **Makenzie Wolf: thanks so much for continuing to review!**

 **Alecline(I don't know your username but you know who you are): max is here!**

 **AlecAline BFFS3: I've always had a headcanon that Alec and Aline were best friend when they were younger, so I decided to add it in here!**


	7. Chapter 7

That _stupid_ boy. _Alexander_. Magnus could still see him when he closed his eyes, Alec's blue eyes full of self loathing. Aline asked Magnus later why he had gone out after Alec, and Magnus responded simply that he felt bad. But really, it was much more. Whenever he saw Alexander, his heart leapt, although he tried to shove it down. He didn't understand any of it. Magnus had always disliked the Marked, and had never had...feelings like these for one of them. He had no reason to. But there was something about Alexander... He didn't seem like or act like the Marked. He acted like a person.

"Magnus!" The high, screeching voice of his mother sounded from the kitchen. He heard a crash of glass. "Get down here this instant!" Magnus sighed. His mother was drunk. Again. He trudged down the hall, but it wasn't fast enough for his mother's liking. A beer bottle whizzed over his head, but he had learned long ago to duck. His mother's eyes were crazed, holding a half-full beer bottle in one of her hands while also surrounded by broken glass and spilled beer. She smelled like urine. "You." She beckoned with her finger, snarling. Magnus took a few small steps closer to her. "You did this." She pointed to a piece of paper, her finger shaking, signed with his stepfather's name. It read;

 _Darling,_

 _I tried so hard to stay with you. I really did. But after seventeen years of living with that thing, I was being rejected by everyone; family, friends. Someone who is Marked living with a Downworlder is frowned upon. I still love you. It's not you, it's Magnus. Find a way to get rid of him, and I'll come back._

 _Your loving husband, Dick_

Magnus found it difficult to stay happy that his abusive stepfather was leaving. Although this was a wish come true, his mother loved Dick very much, and would do anything to get him back. The letter had said 'find a way to get rid of him'. If Magnus knew anything about his mother, it would be that she would do anything for his stepfather. She couldn't just send Magnus off to an adoption center, for there weren't any around that would taken Downworlder children. She tried many times to get rid of Magnus, but nothing she'd tried had worked.

"Come here, ungrateful boy." His mother hissed at him. Magnus knew what was coming, and was prepared. He stepped forward towards his mother, and felt her nails rake across his cheek as she slapped him. He was going to need a lot of foundation to cover that one tomorrow. "You caused my true love to leave me. All because of you. Everything that's made me unhappy in my life is caused by you." She slapped him on the other cheek. "I'm right! You know I'm right. You know that you're a wretched excuse for a person who ruins everything he touches. You're just an ugly thing that can never, will never be loved!" Magnus flinched at that. "Lift up your shirt." Magnus obeyed. He knew if he didn't, it would be worse. He turned so that his scarred back faced his mother. He knew full well she was tracing over the words her and her 'true love' had carved there with a knife. He knew them all by heart. _Ugly. Worthless. Ungrateful. Horrible. Pathetic_. He was told a few months ago he should be glad there were only five, because he had worse qualities. But he was standing here now, knowing his mother was going to give him a sixth. "Unlovable." His mother whispered over and over again as he felt the searing pain of the sharp blade move across his lower back.

Alec woke up early the next morning to Max shaking him awake.

"Come one, Alec! We have to go!" Max whispered. Alec groaned and looked at the clock. 5:45.

"We don't have to get up for another thirty minutes." He told Max.

"I want you to drive me to school before mom wakes up, so hurry!" Max said before sprinting out of the room. Alec got out of bed, got ready, and wrote their parents a notes saying he took Max to school. When he got to the kitchen, he saw Max speed-eating a bowl of cereal and Isabelle pouring two cups of coffee.

"'Morning, Alec." She slid one of the coffee cups across the counter to him.

"We should get going." Max said through a mouthful of Lucky Charms. "I heard mom's alarm go off."

"Okay, fine." Alec said, picking up his keys. "Get in the car."

Since Alec and Izzy got to school a bit early, there weren't many people at the school. Alec took out a bit of his homework since he didn't do any last night, while Izzy began chatting with the few people that were there. After finishing, he heard voices that he recognized. He turned around and saw Maia, Jordan, and Lily. Maia and Jordan both smiled when they saw him, but Lily just scowled and paid him no attention. Alec didn't mind. Like he told Magnus, he deserved it. Maia tossed him a piece of paper discreetly. It read:

 _Saturday. 7:45. Catarina's place. You and your girlfriend. :)_

Alec felt happy. He thought they had all hated him, and although he still felt anxious around them, he knew it would make Aline happy if they went. And not all of them made him anxious. He actually felt quite comfortable around Maia, Helen, and even Magnus. The boy who had managed to make him feel safe after an almost-anxiety attack.

"Whatcha reading?" Aline appeared out of nowhere, peering over his shoulder. He smiled and showed it to her. Aline grinned. "Wow, I can't believe we're invited again! Must've made a good impression." She nudged Alec.

"Hey!" Alec said, hurt. "It isn't my fault, they made me nervous!"

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding. Are you gonna go?"

"Yeah."

"Awesome! I didn't think you'd want to go, after last night." Aline mentioned.

"Yeah, me neither." Alec admitted.

"Magnus really did change your mind, didn't he?" Aline said softly. "He's really sweet."

"Yeah." Alec said without thinking. "He really is."

Magnus walked into school, trying to conceal his strange walking. The cut was rather low, and it hurt when he moved. He'd covered the scratches on his face with a lot of concealer, and looked fabulous, if he said so himself. As long as no one noticed his walking, he should be fine.

"What's up with your walking?" Catarina asked. Magnus bit his lip and had to do some impromptu.

"I ran into the wall. Pretty nasty bruise."

"Can I see? Maybe I can help." Catarina was studying to be a doctor.

"Nah, I'm fine. It's rather close to my bottom as well."

"Oh, ok." Catarina grinned. "See you in class." Magnus sighed in relief once she walked away. He sometimes wondered why he never told anyone about his mother and stepfather's abusive behavior, and always came up with the same conclusion: they're dangerous. He knew either way he went, something would go wrong, and decided to keep others out of it. He walked down the hallway, books in hand, towards his locker when he felt a hand on his shoulder spin him around roughly. Magnus stood face-to-face (well, not face-to-face, Magnus was much shorter) with Sebastian Morgenstern.

"Hey, Downworlder bastard. I heard about what you called me the other day. Well, I did my research, and it turns out the term is more suited to you." He sneered. Magnus pulled out his fake concerned face.

"Oh, what? When I called you Sebastard? Yeah, you're right. One of the definitions of that word is applicable to me. But I was referring to the more offensive term." Sebastian's face hardened. "Well, it's hardly my fault. Your father came up with the perfect name to fit it, did he not?" Magnus caught Catarina's eye from across the hallway. Her face read pure horror. She shook her head, telling him to stop. But Magnus wasn't afraid of a eighteen year old. He had dealt with his mother and stepfather for years, he could handle being being beat up by Sebastian. Magnus had gotten his point across, and liked that he was getting a reaction from Sebastian. He would not stop while he was ahead. "Also, the name fits your personality. Beating up on smaller kids, all because they don't have a little bunny head on the back of their hands." Magnus decided he would stop at that, and began to walk away. That was a bad decision on his behalf. Sebastian's foot collided almost exactly where Magnus' mother had written unlovable on his back. Magnus fell to the cold tile floor of the hallway, his back burning in pain. He felt another sharp pain in his upper back this time, then closer to his neck. He was beginning to see everything tinted red. Sebastian had a strong foot. Magnus could see just enough that Sebastian had moved directly in front of him and kicked him in the ear. He was about to kick him in the face again, and probably even kill him, if purposefully or by accident, when another pair of shoes moved in front of him, shoving Sebastian away.

"Hey man, stop. You're hurting him." A muffled voice said. His ear felt like a boulder just dropped on top of it.

"You think I don't know that? That's my intention." Definitely Sebastian's sneer.

"You really need to quit it. You could have killed him." The other voice again.

"Oh, crap! I think he's dead!" A random voice called out. Magnus tried to will himself to move, but couldn't. He felt two strong hands lifting him up before he passed out.

 **A/N: this chapter is a bit longer than the others because I couldn't stop writing! I felt terrible writing all of the Magnus POV's, so please don't yell at me :( it was super hard, but for CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT! Thank you so much for all of the reviews, and if you're as depressed as I am about this chapter, just imagine Max eating Lucky Charms and Magnus's stepfather being named Dick. I'll try not to abuse Magnus as much next chapter in return for some reviews. Deal? Deal.**


	8. Chapter 8

Alec was nervously sweating. He sat in the driver's seat of his car and kept glancing into his rearview mirror, where Magnus' limp body lay in the backseat. When he had picked Magnus off of the ground and began to carry him to his car, Sebastian had shouted at Alec. The words still echoed in his ears.

" _He's a Downworlder, he means nothing!" Nothing. Nothing._ If the cat-eyed boy meant nothing, then why did Alec's heart nearly split when he saw him on the ground, broken?

Suddenly, a groan broke the eerie silence of Alec's car. Alec quickly pulled into the first parking lot he saw and turned towards Magnus, who tried to push himself into a sitting position. Tried. He fell onto his side with a whimper. Slowly opening his feline eyes, they scanned Alec, who had his own eyes open wide with worry and was turning slightly pink.

"Alexander?" Magnus questioned softly, holding his hand over his injured ear.

"Yeah, it's me." Alec answered in the same quiet voice. "I'm taking you to the hospital." Magnus, looking scared, slowly sat up.

"No." He said, sounding nervous.. Alec frowned.

"Why the hell not? Sebastian could've killed you! You literally almost died!"

"Alec." Magnus interrupted. "I understand that. What you don't understand is that I can't go to the hospital. I don't have enough money, and they would never take a filthy Downworlder like me without payment. Please," he pleaded. "Just take me to Catarina's house. That's all I ask of you."

"Magnus," Alec argued, "You're seriously hurt. I'll even pay for you."

"No!" Magnus' eyes were full of fear, though Alec didn't understand why. Why was Magnus so afraid of going to the hospital? "You're Marked, I'm a Downworlder. You never needed to help me."

"I was worried about you!" Alec shouted, now turning very red. "I thought you were dead." He said, quieter. Magnus looked at him interested.

"Alexander, you are very kind, but if you truly care about my well being, just take me to Catarina's." Alec scrunched his eyebrows. Why didn't Magnus understand he was trying to help? Most likely because he didn't trust the Marked, and he had full right not to. Alec, in a rare act of compliance, turned back around in his seat and began to drive towards Catarina's house. Alec had a distinct feeling that, for some odd reason, he would do whatever Magnus asked of him. Magnus had an aura around him that made Alec's heart flutter and feel nervous, but also made him feel calm and safe. He didn't understand the feeling.

The two didn't speak the entire way to Catarina's place; they had nothing to say. Alec stole quite a few glances in the rearview mirror to check on Magnus and noticed the boy was staring at him intently. Once, Magnus noticed Alec looking and quickly closed his eyes, pretending as if he were resting and not just looking at him.

"We're here." Alec said as he pulled up next to the house. Magnus gave him a grateful smile while trying to stand up. Alec exited the car and helped Magnus out, draping his arm over his shoulder. "Here. Do you have a key?"

"No." Magnus said, wincing as he stood, supported by Alec. Alec raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Locks are expensive." Magnus explained. "Cat barely had enough money to buy her own house when she turned eighteen. She saved money by not getting a lock." Alec nodded and the two walked to the door, Magnus leaning heavily on Alec. Alec helped Magnus sit down on the couch and got him some ice for his ear. "Thank you, Alexander." He said as he put the ice on his ear. "I'll see you at school."

"I'll stay here until Catarina gets back from school." Alec proclaimed, sitting down on the couch next to Magnus.

"You'll miss more school! I'll be fine, go ahead." Magnus argued, but Alec was back to his intransigent self and set his jaw in a stubborn line. "Fine. But I'm sleeping."

"Go ahead." Alec smiled softly. "If you need anything, I'm here for you."

Magnus had indeed fallen asleep. In the process, his head had fallen onto Alec's shoulder, his silky black hair touching Alec's neck. Magnus' light breaths had become comforting to Alec in the few hours he sat there. After a while, he checked his phone, which notified him that he had three texts.

The first was from Aline.

 _Where are u? Seb told me you took Magnus and left. RU OK? -AP_

Alec responded with a quick _I'm fine_ and explained what had happened. The next text was from Izzy.

 _Mom is going to kill you. Is it true? Are you coming home? -IL_

 _Yeah,_ Alec responded, _I'll be home. Long story, tell you later. -AL_

The third text was from his Mom.

 _The principal called. Cutting class is unacceptable. Talk to me after school. -ML_

Alec frantically texted Aline once he read his mom's text.

 _My mom knows. I'm doomed. HELP! -AL_

 _Lie. Say you had to take me home or something. -AP_

 _She knows Seb! He'll tell her! -AL_

 _Well, shit. -AP_

 _If I die, I'll miss you. -AL_

 _Ditto. Hopefully see you tomorrow? -AP_

 _Hopefully. -AL_

After that conversation, Alec checked the time. 2:30. Catarina should be home soon. Just as that thought ran through his head, the door opened and Catarina walked through. She raised her eyebrows at the sight of Alec, but walked towards the coat rack and hung up her backpack.

"Hmph." Catarina said. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Magnus finally brought a boy home. I didn't think it would be a Lightwood, but I guess you _are_ his type." Alec's face went beet red.

"What? No, no, it's not what you think, I… um, have a girlfriend, uh…he got beaten up… I'm not gay." Alec stuttered. Catarina looked amused as she filled a glass with water.

"I know what happened, I'm just messing with you. I figured you two would end up here. Magnus practically lives with me. Is he doing okay?"

"Yeah, he's been sleeping pretty much the whole time." Alec said. "Why does he stay here all of the time?" He swallowed. "Are you two dating?" Catarina choked and spit out her water.

"No, no." she giggled for a little while longer before looking serious. "His parents aren't exactly the kindest people in the world. He likes to stay here when they're being especially terrible, which is most of the time."

"Oh." was all Alec said. There was an awkward silence. "I guess I should go." Catarina frowned with one side of her mouth.

"I guess so." She said. "I really want to thank you, by the way. You're one of the nicest people I've ever met. You're free to come by whenever you want." Alec smiled humbly as he carefully moved Magnus' head off of his shoulder and onto a pillow. "See ya." Alec waved as he exited Catarina's small house.

When Magnus woke up, his ear and his back ached. Alec was gone, and the scent of basil was lingering in the air.

"Morning, sleeping beauty." Catarina said as she held out a bowl of tomato basil soup. Magnus accepted it gratefully. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah." Magnus responded between spoonfuls of soup.

"How'd that Lightwood boy end up bringing you here?" Catarina smirked. "I didn't know you had that effect on the _Marked_ , especially ones dating girls." Magnus tried to glare at her, but ended up smiling.

"Shut up, Cat. He just felt bad for me, that's all." Magnus said, trying to play it cool.

"Okay, believe what you want to believe." Catarina was grinning from ear to ear. "But I'm being best woman at your wedding." Magnus aimed a playful punch at her shoulder, but she scurried out of the way. "Stay in your bedroom tonight. If you need anything, just holler."

Magnus hobbled over to Catarina's guest bedroom. He stayed there so often he had a few pairs of clothes in the closet. After grabbing some pajamas, he dragged himself into the bathroom to get changed. He stripped his shirt off and looked at his back in the mirror. Magnus was so shocked at what he saw, that he almost slipped on the white tile floor. The word pathetic that his mother had carved into his back all those years ago was fading. Instead of thick, ugly, raised lines, they were thinner and didn't rise. He slid on a fresh shirt and tried not to think about it, but couldn't help smiling.

Maybe if Magnus had removed the bandage covering his new wound, he would have noticed the word unlovable was fading too.

 **A/N: Thank you guys so much for waiting for me! I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks to YerathielNightingale423 for checking out/editing this chapter. So, what did you think? Why are Magnus' scars fading? What's going to happen with Alec's parents? And what about when they go back to school? Stay tuned, and please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry, sorry, sorry, and more sorry. My excuse is writers block and busyness. Please enjoy the long awaited ninth chapter.**

Alec was more nervous than he had ever been. He didn't think he could face his parents about helping a Downworlder. They wouldn't understand. They were very unsympathetic. They believed that people had to survive in the world by themselves. His parents barely ever paid attention to their children, except for to reprimand them for going against their morals. What would they say about him cutting class for a 'filthy Downworlder'? Alec's hands were shaking on the wheel, and he was glad whenever he reached a red light or stop sign so that he could let go. He eventually even pulled into a parking lot because he was scared he would crash into someone like this. He was having a complete nervous breakdown. His hands were sweating and shaking, and he could barely move or speak. He definitely couldn't face his parents in this state. Alec put his head in his hands and counted to ten. Then, he stopped shaking enough to text Aline.

 _I'm so scared -AL_

 _Nervous breakdown again? :0 -AP_

 _Yeah -AL_

 _I need help, I can barely drive -AL_

 _I'll be right there. Where are you? -AP_

Alec sent Aline the directions to where he was, then sat there, waiting, taking shaky breaths. Two visions variated in his mind: when his father nearly broke his wrist, and Magnus' silky smooth hair against his shoulder. His fears, and his morals, he supposed. When Aline got there, she hopped into the passenger seat of Alec's car and held his hand, whispering soothing words.

"Thanks." Alec breathed when he finally calmed down.

"No problem." Aline squeezed his hand. "That's what friends are for. Do you want me to come with you?" Alec nodded. "I'll drive." Aline and Alec switched seats, and just as she got back on the road, Aline tried to brighten the mood. "So, how was your afternoon with Magnus? He seems pretty sweet, but he was pretty sassy to Sebastian from what I heard. I like the guy."

"He slept mostly the whole time, but he deserved it. Seb beat up on him pretty bad." Alec said with pity.

"You said 'mostly the whole time'. What happened when he wasn't sleeping?" Aline asked, eyebrows raised.

"We talked. He didn't want to go to the hospital, so I took him to Catarina's, like I said in my messages. Then he just... fell asleep." Alec said. Aline frowned.

"So, nothing exciting. Damn. I think he's perfect for you." Alec felt color rise into his cheeks as the image of Magnus sleeping on his shoulder moved through his head once again.

"I'm not..." Alec tried to say, but got confused. Was he straight? Was he gay? He never loved someone enough to truly know. He didn't even know what love was. What he felt for Magnus... It couldn't be love, could it? Quickened heartbeat when he came nearby, constant pictures of his face scrolling through his mind? That sounds like the crushes that he read about in books. Did that mean... Damn. Alec was gay. Aline looked at him as though she could see his mental debate inside his head, eyebrows raised, eyes laughing, and a smirk on her lips. "Actually, Aline... I think I might possibly... Not like girls. Not that I don't like you, I mean, um, like I don't like like girls. I think I might like boys, like, maybe I might be, um, gay." Alec breathed in shock. Aline shook her head, laughing silently.

"Yeah, I kinda figured. So, you have a crush on Magnus, and that's why your impulse took over when he got beaten up?"

"I don't know, maybe, I think, yeah?" Alec expressed with his hands, his face very red. Aline let one of her hands leave the wheel (which she almost never did) to squeeze Alec's hand supportingly. "I'm with you, no matter what. And, by the way, I predicted it."

"You did? When?" Alec asked, confused.

"Before you even realized it, probably. When we went to help the Downworlders the first time. You guys locked eyes, and I could tell you liked him. And just for the record, I think he likes you too." Aline grinned at him. Alec just shook his head, but he was smiling from ear to ear.

When they pulled into the Lightwoods driveway, Alec found it hard to breathe, but with Aline by his side, he was a little braver. The moment they walked in the door, hand-in-hand, they saw Alec's parents sitting side by side on a couch, seemingly arguing.

"Alec." Robert said once he noticed. "Can you come here, please?" Aline walked towards them, dragging Alec behind her. They sat down on a couch across from Maryse and Robert.

"Aline, dear, would you mind going to talk with Isabelle for a moment? We need to talk to Alec. Preferably alone." Maryse asked, trying to sound kind.

"Actually." Aline moved closer to Alec on the couch so that their sides were touching. "I'd rather stay here." Robert looked frustrated with Aline's attitude. "As you two have failed to realize, your son is prone to anxiety attacks, and..." Alec squeezed her hand, and she quieted. "Okay, I'll shut up now." Maryse tried to act like she wasn't there.

"I was told by your principal that you did not arrive to any of your classes today." She began. "I know your father and I have told you before that cutting class is unacceptable. Aline," Maryse finally accepting her presence, "Please say that you had no part in this. I don't want my son to have a girlfriend that is a bad influence."

"No." Aline shook her head. "I didn't know he had gone." Maryse breathed out.

"Let's cut to the chase." Robert said. "Alexander Gideon Lightwood, why did you leave school today?" Alec could tell he was angry, but couldn't do anything about it because Aline was there. He silently thanked her stubborn will.

"I... I was helping out a classmate. He got beaten up pretty badly, so I took him home."

"See? Is that such a bad thing?" Aline looked at the Lightwoods pointedly. "Can we go now? We were going to go on a date."

"No, not yet." Maryse said. "Which classmate? And who beat him up? We can talk to the principal for him."

"It's fine, Mom. He's fine." Alec said, trying to stand up, but Robert's hand on his knee shoved him down rather roughly.

"Answer your mother's questions. Then you can go."

"It was Magnus Bane." Surprising himself, his voice didn't shake."Sebastian Morgenstern was the one who beat him up." Alec pushed his father's hand off of his knee and took Aline's hand. "We're going now." He pulled Aline towards the door, hearing his father's shouts in the back of his head.

"Alexander Gideon Lightwood, get back here! This conversation is not over! Do you realize what helping a Downworlder will do to our family? You are grounded, you hear me! Grounded! Alec!" Robert's voice faded as Alec shut the door behind him and Aline. Aline squeezed his hand.

"Good job. Standing up to your father like that."

"Thanks for staying."

"Of course. Where do you want to go? We should probably leave soon."

"Let's go to Dairy Queen. I need ice cream right now." Alec said, and the two jumped into Alec's car. Aline turned on some music. "What is this playlist?" Alec asked.

"A bit of this, a bit of that." Aline responded. "Ruelle, Fallout Boy, ACDC, Green Day, Troye Sivan. You know. I find it calming somehow." Alec smiled.

"Wait, pull over." He said, staring out the window. It was Max, with a girl, whose dark brown hair was held back with two hair clips. They were walking hand in hand, down a path sort of hidden by some trees. The girl, who stood a little taller than Max, kissed him on the cheek, handed him a book, and ran off, her hair flying behind her.

"Is that Max?" Aline asked. Alec only nodded in response. "Who's the girl?"

"I don't know." Alec said, but then it hit him. "Oh my god. That's Livvy Blackthorn."

"Helen's sister?"

"Half sister. She doesn't have any Downworlder blood. My mom and dad still forbade Max from being friends with her." Aline's brows knit together as she frowned.

"That's stupid." She said. "Maybe more stupid than not letting you help a Downworlder." Alec shrugged.

"That's my parents for you."

"They're cute together." Aline said. "Max and Livvy, I mean."

"I guess. Izzy agrees with you. I just don't want Max in trouble with our parents."

"That's sweet." Aline said. "But you should let him make his own decisions. I mean, he can't get in as much trouble as you'd get into if your parents find out you're gay. Especially for a Downworlder."

Magnus woke up the next morning aching all over. He got ready for school, but the moment he walked out into the living room, he heard Catarina's voice.

"Nuh uh." She shook her head, her white ponytail waving from side to side. "You are staying home today. I already called the school." She slung her backpack over her shoulder.

"Cat!" Magnus exclaimed. "You can't make these decisions for me! You aren't my mother!"

"Magnus," Catarina raised her eyebrows, "have you even looked in the mirror today?" Magnus frowned. He had noticed a giant bruise on the side of his face.

"I can cover it with foundation." He argued.

"Yeah, but you can't hide the fact that you can barely walk because Sebastian kicked you. Right in the spot where you hit your back earlier."

"What?" Magnus was confused before he remembered the excuse he had told Catarina about his back. "Oh yeah."

"Anyway, you are not going to school today or tomorrow."

"Tomorrow's Saturday."

"Oh yeah!" Catarina grinned. "Your boyfriend's coming over. Heal yourself by then, and pick out an outfit."

"We're not dating, Cat."

"Psh. See ya!" She left the house, leaving Magnus standing there awkwardly.

Alec had managed to sneak in last night without being noticed by his parents, and left without being noticed either. Isabelle and Max would have to find another ride today. When he got to school, he found himself unintentionally scanning the hallways for Magnus. When he saw Catarina walk in, he fought the urge to ask her how Magnus was doing. Luckily for him, she subtly dropped a note into his hand. It read:

 _Thanks for helping Magnus. I knew I liked you. He's doing alright, but I left him at home today. If you're feeling brave, sit with us at lunch. Tell Aline to come too. Helen has a thing for her._

 _See ya around._

 _~ C_

Alec smiled to himself a little as he slid the note into his pocket.

"Hey, Lightwood." He looked up, finding himself looking into the face of Sebastian. He smiled sheepishly.

"Hi, Sebastian."

"Why'd you help that Downworlder boy yesterday? He's a Downworlder. Below us."

"Well, um, I thought that, um, you might've killed him if you kept at it. Even though he is a Downworlder, you still, um, would've got in trouble for murder." Alec tried to formulate an excuse in his head.

"That's bullshit and you know it. Just like in the lunchroom. You're a shitty liar, anyone ever tell you that? You're a Downworlder lover, which in my eyes, makes you just as bad as one. Maybe even worse. Tell you what, help one of those fuckers again, and I'll hurt you way worse than I hurt that worthless little emo bastard."

"Say that again." Catarina had moved to stand next to Alec.

"Oh, did I offend a little worthless Downworlder chick? You aren't a part of this."

"Yes, I am." Catarina stood firm. "And yes, you did offend me. You insulted my friend and are now threatening another one of my friends. That involves me." Sebastian furrowed his brows angrily.

"Oh, so you're friends with this bitch?" Sebastian looked at Alec.

"She's not a bitch." Alec said, and then a fist came flying at his face. No time to dodge, no time to fight back. But the fist didn't hit. He opened his eyes and saw that Catarina had jumped in front of him and had caught his fist in her hand. He couldn't see her face, but her voice conveyed more than enough.

"Stay away from my friends." Her hands moved faster than Alec could comprehend and Sebastian was on the floor. "Pressure points." She smiled at Alec. "Don't mess with a nurse. Got to go now, see you at lunch." She sprinted away as Sebastian yelled after her.

"I'm coming for you, bitch! Watch your back! My father will hear about this!" Alec decided he'd better leave as well, and turned around to see Aline.

"Quoting Harry Potter. Nice. We'd better go." She grabbed his hand and they ran off as Alec explained what had happened to him.

 **Cat is a badass, just saying. Don't mess with a nurse. Also, Alec has finally realized he likes Magnus! Yay! Sorry for the profanity in this chapter, I was mad at someone (cough cough HERA) for not liking Dean Winchester. Please review, and sorry again for the wait!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey guys! Look! I'm finally posting. Sorry for the huge gap in between updates, but the reason I don't have a writing schedule is because I randomly have bursts of inspiration and really long periods of writer's block. Anyway, here's some cute Alec+Aline friendship AND the start of some Malec. ;)**

Aline pulled Alec around the back of the school and promptly collapsed with her back to a tree.

"Wow," Aline breathed, "I haven't done that much exercise since I was required to take gym classes!" Alec sat down next to her. "Alright, down to business: you're an idiot."

"Trust me, I know." Alec sighed. "I'm doomed."

"Whaddya say we cut class?" Aline offered, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

"Whoa, are you kidding? My parents will murder me! I'm already in enough trouble as is!"

"Ok then, I have a plan."

"Oh no, _you_ have a plan."

"Yes, I have a plan." Aline stood up with her hands on her hips, looking determined and stubborn. She offered Alec her hand. "Come with me."

"How in the world did you do that?" Alec questioned as Aline was driving his car home.

"Oh, just a few tricks I picked up in elementary school. Trust me, I've faked being sick more times than I've taken a test in my life."

"Okay, but what was that tablet you gave me?" Alec asked, concerned.

"It wasn't drugs, if that's what you're thinking." She smiled in a way that made Alec not believe her. "It just makes a thermometer think you have a fever." She took both her hands off of the steering wheel to put her hair up.

"Where did you… Hey!" Alec exclaimed, pushing her hands back down. "Where did you get them?" Aline smiled creepily, but didn't answer. "You scare me sometimes, Ali."

"Good." Aline blew her hair out of her face. "And don't call me Ali or you'll have a reason to be afraid, Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes." She scrunched her eyebrows together, trying to look angry, but Alec saw that the corner of her lip kept turning up. She was trying not to smile.

"You know, I've never understood that phrase. I mean, are rule followers the only ones who wear two shoes or something?" Aline's angry face broke down and she started to laugh.

"You know, you're right," she said, giggling. "It really doesn't make any sense." She pulled into Alec's driveway and took the keys out of the car. "Do you need anything? Like for me to carry you out of the car?" She said with a fake sympathetic look on her face. Alec made a face.

"I'm not actually sick." Alec got out of the car and stole the keys from Aline to unlock the front door. "Isabelle is gonna kill you." Aline said, flopping on the couch. "Who's she gonna get a ride from?"

"Jace or someone." Alec sat down next to her.

"Hey, don't sit that close to me!" Aline said, pretending to be disgusted. "I don't want to get sick!" Alec just shook his head, and Aline smiled, snuggling up next to him like a cat. Suddenly, she smirked.

"I don't like that look." Alec said warily.

"Have you ever seen Mean Girls?" Aline asked. Alec frowned.

"No, why?"

"Oh boy, do I have a movie for you."

"I'm almost positive I don't own that movie."

"You don't, but Izzy does. I know she does."

After almost an hour of digging through Isabelle's excessive movie collection, Aline yelled, "Aha!" And held up a pink movie.

"That looks like the dumbest movie ever." Alec moaned.

"It is." Aline agreed. "But the main character is basically you." Alec snatched the movie from Aline's hand.

"I fail to see how a redhead girl who kind of looks like Clary could ever be 'basically me'." Aline stole the movie back and put the DVD in the DVD player.

"Trust me, Alec." She pointed to Regina George on the cover of the movie. "You see that one? She's Sebastian." Alec laughed.

"Now that makes sense! Now let me guess; she's a self-possessed popular girl who everyone loves but is actually a bully." Aline spit out a laugh.

"Spot on. See, I told you, she's Sebastian."

"I still don't believe you about the redhead." Alec said.

"The redhead's name is Cady Heron and she's dumb."

"If she's dumb, she can't be me." Alec tried to protest.

"She's not 'not smart dumb,'" Aline smiled, "she's like 'gives in to popularity so she doesn't get bullied by Regina George' dumb."

"Hey!" Alec said, trying to protest again. "Well… I guess that kind of is me."

"Yeah, and she has two awesome gay friends as well. Cady equals Alec." Aline sing-songed.

"Why are we watching this movie anyway?"

"Why not?" Aline shot back.

"Because it's almost Halloween. Let's watch something scary like The Shining."

"Nope." Aline said, pushing him onto the couch. Alec groaned, but stayed where he was. Aline started the movie. "I'm going to go make some coffee. I'll be right back."

"You mean I have to watch some stupid chick flick alone?" Alec shouted after her.

"I said I'll be right back! Plus, aren't gay guys supposed to like chick flicks?" Alec flushed, and was glad Aline wasn't there to see it.

"Make me some coffee!"

"I know! I will!" Alec was about to tell her what he wanted in it, but she yelled, "I know you want just sugar, one scoop! No need to tell me!" Alec smiled.

"Thanks, Ali!" He teased. Aline walked into the room, holding the coffee pot threateningly.

"No." Was all she said before walking back into the kitchen.

"I am not anything like Cady!" Alec shouted, a bit louder than he should've. Aline threw popcorn in his face.

"Yes, you are. Plus, now that you've seen the movie, you have to push Sebastian into a bus and become homecoming queen."

"Four problems with that:" Alec began, "One, if I pushed Sebastian into a bus, his dad would kill me. Two, Cady didn't actually push Regina into a bus. Three, I'm not going to homecoming, and four, I'm not a girl."

"Wait, you're not going to homecoming?" Aline frowned. "So that's why you haven't asked me yet!" She threw more popcorn at him. "Dummy. Our relationship is supposed to be believable."

"I just don't want to go." Alec said.

"So I have to go alone?" Aline's bottom lip trembled and her eyes began to water.

"Nice try, Aline. I can tell when you're faking." Alec said, but immediately felt guilty. Aline began to cry, and Alec wrapped his arms around her.

"Fine, I'll go." He relented. Aline looked up, her eyes wet.

"Promise." Alec sighed.

"I promise." Aline rubbed her eyes and laughed.

"I know just how to play you." She smirked. "Any tears and you break down."

Alec took the opportunity to retaliate and threw popcorn back at Aline.

"You suck." He said, catching a piece of popcorn Aline threw at him in his mouth.

"I should be an actress! Nice." She acknowledged Alec catching the popcorn.

"We got to watch your movie, it's my turn now." Alec said, getting up to grab a movie. Aline shrieked.

"Nope, nope, nope-ity nope nope nope."

"The Conjuring." Alec said, holding up the case.

"I HATE scary movies!" Aline protested.

"Well I HATE chick flicks!" Alec shot back. Aline glared at him.

"We need more popcorn." She said. "I volunteer!" She tried to get up, but Alec pushed her back down.

"Nope. It's my turn now." Alec put the DVD into the player and walked into the kitchen to make more popcorn. He took a packet out of the pantry and put it in the microwave while grabbing glasses to make root beer floats. After a minute or so he smelled smoke, so he turned around to check on the popcorn. The microwave was in flames. His eyes widened and he ran to get the fire extinguisher.

"Did you burn the popcorn?" Aline yelled from the living room.

"More than just the popcorn!" Alec yelled back.

"What?" Aline questioned, confused. "I'll be right there." She ran into the kitchen and saw the fire.

"I told you I should've made it!" She yelled over the sound of the fire extinguisher.

"My parents are going to kill me." Alec said after extinguishing the flames. Aline shrugged.

"Probably." She rubbed the burnt microwave with a paper towel. Barely any soot came off. "You can barely tell this was just on fire! Except for the fact that it's hot." She rubbed her fingers. Opening the microwave, she carefully took out a bubbling mess of popcorn and plastic. "Seriously, Alec? You left the plastic on?" She shook her head.

"At least I made root beer floats." Alec offered her one. She took it. "Now let's go finish the movie." Aline grimaced, but followed Alec back into the living room.

Aline spent most of the movie with her head in between her knees, and even got so scared at one point when she was taking a sip of her root beer that she threw the entire thing in her face and yelled "SHIT!" At the top of her lungs. Luckily, no soda got on the couch, but she had to borrow some of Isabelle's clothes.

"How in the world does Izzy fit in these?" Aline questioned, referring to a pair of skinny jeans she had taken from Isabelle's room. "It's impossible."

"Well, you fit in them."

"Not well."

"Whatever. Anyway, you don't get anymore root beer. I don't want my parents to come home and find out I've ruined the microwave and the couch."

"Aw, come on!" Aline complained. "Well, I guess it's okay. I've probably had too much anyway."

"Hey, let's go for a walk." Alec offered. "I think I've had enough of sitting around and eating junk food.

"You can never have too much junk food. But yeah, a walk would be nice."

Magnus hated staying at home doing nothing. Yes, his back still hurt, but he could walk around after a couple hours of resting. He left the house and went to a calm, quiet park and scrambled up a tree, like he usually did when he didn't want to bother Catarina and his mother was being a jerk. It hurt more than then pulled out a book that Maia had lent him called "Legend" by Marie Lu (A/N: read it! It's amazing) and a bag of almonds out of his backpack. A squirrel climbed up the tree, saw Magnus, and cocked its little head. Magnus held out an almond in the palm of his hand and the squirrel took it. Suddenly, Magnus heard voices.

"That's strange," He said to the squirrel, "Almost no one comes around here." He peered through the leaves and saw two familiar black haired people. "Alec and Aline? Shouldn't they be at school?" He wondered aloud. The squirrel seemed to shrug and scurried away. Magnus bent over to look closer to determine it was them, and then he was falling. Alec looked up, and his eyes opened in shock. Magnus, not wanting to hurt Alec, somehow grabbed a branch as he was falling and swung out of the way, landing on the ground. On his back. _Oh my god, I'm dying._ He thought to himself.

"Are you okay?" Alec asked, concern written all over his brow. _No, no I'm not_. He thought.

"Oh, come on!" Aline cried. "You were supposed to be his knight in shining armor, catching him in your arms majestically!" She used exaggerated hand movements and ended it all with a twirl. Magnus saw Alec's face flush, but Alec still offered his hands to help Magnus up. "Why were you in a tree?" Aline asked curiously.

"Catarina wanted me to stay home today." Magnus answered, taking Alec's hands. They were warm and strong and… He shook his hair out of his face. "I'm not a big fan of sitting inside all day. What about you guys?" He stood with difficulty.

"Sebastian trouble." Alec said.

"Your friend Catarina is a badass." Aline added approvingly. Magnus' eyes widened.

"What did she do?" He was a little nervous. Cat could lose her temper sometimes, and that wouldn't be good around someone like Sebastian.

"She saved Alec's life." Aline said solemnly, her eyes large like a young child's.

"Not really. But she did beat the shit out of Sebastian." Alec said. Aline gasped and put her hand on her chest.

"Alexander Gideon Lightwood!" She reprimanded, like a mother would. "Did you just…" She took a hiatus for dramatic effect, "swear?"

"Calm down, you do it all the time." Alec said.

"Yeah, but you would never! You are a perfect, innocent small child."

Magnus' eyes flickered between the two of them. They bantered like two people who were the best of friends, which he supposed they were. It reminded him of Catarina. Aline's black hair swished back and forth as she crossed her arms across her chest and smiled knowingly at Alec, in a way that said 'I know I'm right', just like Catarina would do when they argued. Alec had a look of stubbornness on his face, but a different look in his big, blue eyes that showed that he knew that Aline was right. Just by witnessing that, Magnus knew for sure that their relationship was a platonic one, even though they said otherwise. _Maybe I have a chance then_? He thought to himself, but then shook the thought off. _He'd never date me. I'm a guy, and a Downworlder. Unlovable._

"Anyway, Magnus," Aline's voice sounded and Magnus snapped back to attention. "Wanna come walk with us?"

The early chill of autumn nipped at Alec's nose and ears as they walked along, Aline filling what would've been an awkward void of silence with mindless chatter. Alec kept stealing looks at Magnus and noticed he had his jacket pulled up to his chin, which gave Alec the almost uncontrollable urge to give him his scarf. But he resisted, somehow.

Aline talked as they walked, neither Magnus nor Alec saying a thing. Magnus felt oddly warm in the cold weather. Maybe it was his jacket. Or maybe it was the fact that every once in a while Alec's hand would accidentally touch his and make his heart flutter. Magnus tried to fight the urge to look at Alec, but his eyes betrayed him and he noticed that Alec's ears were turning red. In Magnus' pocket was the hat that Catarina had bought him for his birthday. Should I give it to him? He wondered.

"Do you want a hat?" Alec heard Magnus say while Aline was on a break from her talking to breathe. He looked over and saw the taller boy holding a black hat. There was only one problem: the hat was completely covered in golden glitter. Magnus seemed to notice the way Alec looked at the hat and put it back in his pocket.

"Sorry, it's probably too flashy for you." He said, his face red. Alec was much too polite to refuse a kind offer like that, and he would never say no to Magnus anyway.

"No!" Alec said. "I would love to borrow your hat." He blushed a little. "You just didn't strike me as the glitter type." Magnus half-smiled and ran his hand through his thick, shiny black hair.

"Yeah, well… Glitter is really underrated." Magnus said, handing Alec the hat. He slid it over his head. It was actually really warm and soft.

"Thanks." Alec said gratefully.

"No problem." Magnus responded. Aline cleared her throat.

"Okay, boys, I'm going to go get some apple cider from that coffee shop over there so I can stop being the third wheel over here. Do you guys want any?"

"No thanks." Magnus and Alec said at the same time.

"Alright, suit yourselves. I'll be right back." She left seeming to be smirking to herself. Alec thought he heard her say, "Don't make up without me." But that made no sense. Alec and Magnus sat down on a bench in a way that any closer would uncomfortable but any farther away would be awkward.

"So," Magnus said, attempting to start a conversation, "what exactly did Catarina do?"

"Well, Sebastian was about to hit me, but Catarina… Poked him. A lot. And he fell over."

"Pressure points." Magnus nodded. "Catarina's training to be…"

"A nurse, right?" Alec said. Magnus nodded again. "How's that going to work? Her being a Downworlder and all." Alec mentally kicked himself for being stupid enough to say that. "I mean, us Marked aren't good at giving Downworlders good jobs like that."

"Don't say us." Magnus reprimanded him. "You and Aline aren't like that." There was silence for a second, but it felt like forever. "Anyway, she wants to work at a Downworlder hate crime clinic. You know, where they send severely wounded Downworlders who are victims of a hate crime." There was another silence.

"You know," Alec said quietly. "I think it's cool that we can just talk."

"With no judgement or prejudice." Magnus added just as quietly.

"I'm sorry about my parents."

"You can't choose who you're born to." He sounded as if he was speaking from experience. "It's not your fault." Alec noticed that Magnus had moved his hand closer towards the space between them. Alec's thumb twitched, and he placed his hand on top of Magnus'. They sat in silence, just like that, Alec's hand over Magnus', until Aline returned.

 **Yay! Malec is finally happening. Also, I was writing some of this on October 3rd, so that's the reason for the whole Mean Girls thing. Hopefully you guys thought it was cute. I hope you enjoyed my extra writing as a gift because of my extreme break in between writing. Please review, tell me what you want to happen later on! I'll try to write quicker next time. Also, any anime fans, check out DinoGods17 's story for Fairy Tail, as I'm beta-ing for them right now. Also also, thanks to Alecline and Hera/Jaia for betaing-ish. Sorry again!**

 **Amma Lightstairs**


	11. IMPORTANT NEWS AND APOLOGY

**Hey guys! I'm not dead! I feel extremely bad about forgetting about this for five months, and if anyone is still following this, I have important news! I'm going to be moving this story to Wattpad! My username is ammalightstairs . Chapter 11 is coming out within the next week, so check out my Wattpad if you want to continue reading! Thank you for being amazing readers and I love you all!**


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